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Zod
General Dru-Zod, better known as simply Zod, was a Kryptonian general who thought his purpose in life was to ensure the survival of the Kryptonian race. He was killed by Superman in combat in the heart of Metropolis. Biography Early Life Zod was born on the distant planet Krypton genetically engineered as a commanding leader and fierce warrior. He was one in a long line of warriors all who served in Krypton's military rising all the way to the rank of 'General' from which he was formally known as "General Zod" from now on. Zod was placed in charged of the Warrior Guild on Krypton and was fiercely devoted to his duty and his 'people'. Zod also had a strong mutual respect for Jor-El, Krypton's leading scientist. The pair were friends during their childhoods. Coup on Krypton Believing the Kryptonian Law Council too weak in the running of their race, Zod decides he needs to take charge to make sure Krypton survives and founds the Sword of Rao movement to severe the degenerative bloodlines and start anew on a new planet. He and a few men arrive at the Legislation Chamber where Jor-El is in session with them. He informs Jor-El of his plans who rejects his plan telling him it is madness and has his men take him away whilst Zod informs the Council of his plans before killing. When told that Jor-El had escaped and also stole the growth codex, Zod and a few men travel to the House of El Homestead where Zod confronts Jor-El face to face as Lara Lor-Van launches Kal-El off planet. Believing Jor-El to turn his back on his friend, Zod battles Jor-El and after a hard fought fight stabs his friend with the hude blade from his armor. Saddened at what he had to do to his friend, he and his followers were arrested by loyalist forces. Captured, Zod and his minions were put on trial before the Law Council with several bureaucrats and Lara Lor-Van present. They were sentenced to 300 years of reconditioning inside the Phantom Zone. Zod approached Lara and declared that sending their illegal son away wasn't enough and that he wasn't safe and he will find him. The ship descended on Kandor and Zod and his cohorts boarded and went through the Phantom Zone Projector for their sentence. Krypton's core gave way as Jor-El had earlier predicted and the ripple effect of its destruction broke the boundaries of the Phantom Zone allowing the Black Zero ship to escape. Seeing their planet had been destroyed, Zod declared the Black Zero his new flagship and began searching the universe for surviving Kryptonian colonies finding a dead colony and a Terraforming Generator which they take with them. Soon they pick up a Kryptonian beacon and follow it to the planet Earth in search of Superman and a suitable new home. Arrival on Earth Black Zero entered the Earth's outer atmosphere where General Zod used his flagship to transmit a message to the planet Earth's primitive computers where every device on the planet would transmit his message. He request they give us Superman other suffer the consequences of his wrath. After receiving a message that Superman is to be handed over, Zod sends Faora in a dropship to pick up Superman and also the human Lois Lane. They are brought aboard where Black Zero's atmosphere disrupts Kal's abilities and nulifies them. Zod has him strapped down and Jax-Ur take some of his blood before subjecting the two to mind probing where Zod projects images into Superman's head of a fallen human race. Lois Lane had brought aboard Jor-El's AI who helps her escape and avoid capture into an escape pod which jettisons to Earth. Whilst Zod's forces try to recapture Lois, Superman uses his returned strength to escape his binds and escapes after recieving encouragement of Jor-El. Zod and his men are in dropships and tracked Kal's ship to Smallville and to the Kent Farm. They departed and were greeted by Martha Kent who denied any knowledge of an alien named Kal-El. Faora found the ship in the barn and they threatened Martha to give him up. With Zod to strike her Superman appeared and tackle Zod away landing in downtown Smallville. Zod was still getting used to his powers under the yellow sun and with his visor damaged, his senses began to subdue him. Faora and one of Zod's soldiers arrived and began engaging Superman in battle before he subdued them with his experience and more solar power. Realising they were outmatched for the time being, Zod and his followers retreated to Black Zero. After recovering on board Black Zero, Zod orders the release of the Generator which is dropped off in the pacific ocean before Black Zero is taken to Metropolis. Zod orders for them both to be activated whilst he travels to the arctic where he finds the Fortress of Solitude and after seeing Jor-El's AI, turns it off before flying the ship to Metropolis. Superman, who had just destroyed the Terraforming Generator arrives and crashes into the ship and brings it down crashing through several buildings into the ground. Col. Nathan Hardy then flies a ship containing Superman's ship along with Faora into Black Zero creating a singularity which sucks Black Zero along with the plane containing Hardy and Faora aboard. Losing all his men in an instant, an enraged Zod engages Superman vowing to get revenge by killing the entire human race. The two battle across Metropolis throwing punch after punch at each other destroying buildings and bringing down skyscrapers before Zod tears off his armor and controls his ability to fly with the fight taking to the sky and temporarily in space before the two come crashing into Metropolis Central Station where Zod unleashes his heat vision upon innocent civilians. Superman grapples Zod and tries to avert his heat vision reaching the civilians before snapping Zod's neck killing him. Powers and Abilities Powers *'Kryptonian Physiology:' As a Kryptonian, Zod's alien body adapted to Earth's atmosphere and gravity and absorbed the yellow radiation emitted by the Sun. This process of adaption granted him superhuman powers, whose intensity increased, as long as he kept being exposed to Earth's environment. While Zod's body initially had problems adapting to the new planet's atmosphere, he was able to do so shortly before his final battle with Kal-El. **'Super Strength': As a Kryptonian, Zod has a tremendous level of superhuman strength, virtually incalculable, as he is able to carry more than 1 million tons. He can generate large shock-waves with his mighty punches, he can effortlessly hurl cars and trucks great distances, instantly destroy mountain tops, and fight evenly against fellow Kryptonian Kal-El. Zod managed to hurl Kal-El with enough force to penetrate quite a few skyscrapers in rapid succession before the latter even started to slow down (briefly knocking Kal-El out in the process). Zod also could generate enough force to even break through the invulnerability of fellow Kryptonian, much like Kal-El did, when the latter broke his incredibly durable neck. **'Super Stamina': Zod almost never grows tired if he is continuously powered by the yellow sun of Earth. He doesn't need to eat, sleep, or breathe. He is able to survive flying into outer space and diving underwater. He ferociously battled with Kal-El without ever needing to stop and catch his breath. ** Super Speed: Zod can run, fly and react at incredible supersonic speeds (of over Mach 20). During his final battle, Zod was able to land several blows on Kal-El before the latter could react. His speed seems to extend to his reflexes as well, as Zod managed to catch a punch from Superman, and avoid several strikes from his equally fast opponent. ** Invulnerability: Zod's body is incredible durable, virtually indestructible. Hence, he can withstand an massive explosions, the extreme cold of the Arctic, falls from great heights, high-caliber bullets, anti-tank depleted uranium rounds, plasma bolts from Kryptonian weaponry, and even numerous mighty blows from fellow Kryptonian Kal-El. Some of the few things that actually can harm Zod are Aquaman's Trident of Neptune, Wonder Woman's Sword, green Kryptonite minerals, and beings of comparable incalculable strength, such as other Kryptonians, as they are strong enough to physically break though his invulnerability, shown when Kal-El managed to break Zod's extremely durable neck, killing him. **'Flight': Zod was initially able to use his great strength to perform super jumps, such as when he scaled a tall building in only a few leaps, while pursuing Kal-El. However, shortly thereafter, he learned to manipulate the force of gravity around him, granting Zod the power to levitate and fly, managing to keep up with Kal-El as their battle continued in the air, and outer space. Zod, much like Kal-El, could fly at incredible supersonic speeds, and maneuver with precision in any direction, as well as hover in one place. **'Heat Vision:' Zod has the ability to fire thick beams of intense heat at a target by looking at it with the conscious act of activating this power. Visually, the power manifests as two thick laser-like beams of red light firing from his eyes. Zod can utilize it to stun other Kryptonians (causing them burning pain on the impact), and used it to quickly bring down the Wayne Financial building, and almost succeeded in burning innocent bystanders alive with it. **'X-Ray Vision:' When his visor first broke open, Zod was initially overwhelmed by the sudden intensity of his x-ray vision (which enabled him to see through all objects and people), and was unable to control it. However, he was finally able to gain control over it through focus before his final battle. Lead appears to be the only substance that Zod's Kryptonian x-ray vision cannot penetrate. ** Super Hearing: When his visor first broke open, Zod was initially overwhelmed by the sudden intensity of his hearing (which enabled him to simultaneously perceive numerous feeble and far noises very clearly, including both infrasound and ulrasound), and was unable to control it. However, Zod was finally able to gain control over it through focus before his final battle, now being able to exclude ambient sounds in order to focus on a specific source or frequency. Abilities *'Expert Combatant': as the Commanding Officer of the Kryptonian Warrior Guild, Zod is a fierce and ruthless combatant, being skilled in several Kryptonian martial arts. He initially maintained the upper hand in his final battle with Kal-El, though the latter was finally able to get Zod in a headlock by the end of it. Weaknesses *'Sensory Overload: '''As Zod and his fellow Kryptonians have superhuman senses, their brains can be overwhelmed by the information they take in. Though they can learn to hone their senses, an attack on their sight or hearing can briefly stun and weaken them. However, Zod recovered from the attack afterwards, and fully overcame this weakness shortly before his final battle with Superman. *'Red Sun Radiation/Kryptonian Environments: A red sun can rob a Kryptonian of the powers they gained under a yellow sun. Because of this, a Kryptonian environment filled with red sun radiation and greater gravity will render Zod to human levels. *Kryptonite:' This radioactive green mineral from Krypton is the greatest weakness of all Kryptonians, as it is extremely toxic to them. Exposure to Kryptonite will cause a Kryptonian to lose all of his/her powers, become sick and prolonged exposure will result in the Kryptonian's death. *'Beings of Equal Power:' Beings of comparable incalculable superhuman might, such as other Kryptonians, can generate enough force that can knock out, injure and even kill Zod, breaking through his invulnerability without the need of Kryptonite, which was ultimately Zod's downfall, as Superman was ultimately able to kill the former by breaking Zod's otherwise invulnerable neck. Behind the Scenes Actor Viggo Mortensen was considered for the role before Shannon was eventually cast. Shannon commented on his portrayal in comparison to Terence Stamp's original, iconic take on General Zod in 1980's ''Superman II, "To follow Terence Stamp's iconic performance in the original, it is daunting, but I just focused on one day at a time." References External Links * General Zod at the Superman Wiki. * General Zod at the Superman Anthology Wiki. Category:Man of Steel Characters Category:Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Characters Category:Deceased Characters Category:Kryptonians Category:Main Villains